They say that if you pray desperately enough, offering up your very soul, your wish will come true.

It’s the kind of phrase that sounds plausible to anyone pushed to the brink of despair.

Truthfully, I had considered it an absurd rumor—an absolute impossibility.

But in the end, I had no choice but to believe it.

"Ah, Arin. When I die, serve the new master who will appear. He is a Noble of the Dimension whom I summoned at the cost of my soul, so you must serve him just as you served me."

It was the final command given by my one and only master right before his death, so I had to obey.

No, I had to absolutely believe it and serve the one who would soon arrive.

Even a mere homunculus like me knew that much.

And so, time passed.

The seasons changed countless times, and the sun rose and set for thousands of days.

Yet, the new master never appeared.

Even so, I waited.

The final words left behind by the Previous Master were reason enough.

Of course, there were times when my decaying body caused difficulties, but it didn’t matter.

’It’s fine. I just need to preserve my body with the Mana Sphere the Previous Master left behind.’

Like the passage of time itself, the building grew old and crumbled, but I remained unchanged.

That realization would sometimes bring a belated wave of sadness, but I endured it.

My sole mission was to protect this place and wait for the new master.

I had no time to be swayed by emotions like a human.

In truth, the number of intruders treating this place like a ruin and coming to scavenge was on the rise.

Each time, I used magic to chase them away, but their numbers only multiplied.

’It’s getting too hard to stop them alone. At this rate, the dungeon will fall.’

From then on, I held nothing back during every engagement.

The mana contained in the Mana Sphere wasn’t infinite, so I stopped the intruders even if it meant burning my own body.

As a result, parts of my body were severely damaged, rendering restoration impossible.

I felt unbearable pain, but I forced myself to endure.

Then one day, a massive horde of intruders invaded.

I was suddenly gripped by fear at their incalculable, overwhelming numbers, but I had to stop them.

No, I ’would’ stop them.

’...I can’t die yet.’

Despite my resolve, the result was miserable.

Under the relentless barrage of attacks, most of my body was destroyed, making normal movement impossible.

Eventually, when only a fraction of my upper body remained before the encroaching intruders, my eyes grew red and teary.

The bastards openly mocked me, laughing that even a homunculus could shed tears, but I couldn’t stop crying.

How long did I cry?

An intruder raised his sword.

Sensing the end, I closed my eyes, but a sudden surge of bitter injustice washed over me.

’Why did I wait all this time? In the end, the new master never even appeared. It’s so unfair. I don’t want to die like this!’

The desperate desire to live came to me belatedly.

But it was already too late.

As the intruder brought his sword down, I voiced my thoughts for the very first time.

"I... don’t want to die."

"You’re kidding me. Just die already, you monster!"

Suddenly, my black-and-white world was dyed in brilliant colors.

The intruder shouted something, but that wasn’t important.

A loud explosion echoed as brilliant flames erupted in all directions.

An unbelievable sight unfolded in the distance.

The intruders panicked, and I lay there helplessly, only able to blink.

"W-What the... What the hell is that?!"

"Even magic is useless! Everyone, run!"

"Get out of the way! I don’t want to die!"

The bastards who had been so arrogant a moment ago were now scrambling to flee.

But the flames, already spreading rapidly, soon swallowed the intruders whole. The surroundings fell as quiet as if nothing had happened.

And then...

"If you want to live, then live. Right?"

In that crimson-dyed world, a black-haired young man reached out his hand.

For some unknown reason...

I sobbed.

It was a day when my tears flowed endlessly.

---

I opened my eyes a few days later.

The first thing that surprised me was my body. It had returned to a pristine state; not only were my gruesomely destroyed limbs fully restored, but even my clothes were back to their original condition.

I was completely bewildered, but my questions were answered before long.

"No, this is a bit much. How am I supposed to figure this out when you only gave me this one ability?"

"It’s what you decided in the first place, Taehyun. The system left behind by Nikunbel is also applied to this world, so stop complaining and get to work on the assignment."

The black-haired young man and a woman holding documents were bickering, completely oblivious to the fact that I was awake.

I had no intention of interrupting them, but since it seemed they were the ones who had healed my body, I sat up.

"Oh. It looks like she’s awake now. Well then, good luck. Don’t forget the penalty."

"Hey. Morpina. Hey!"

The strict-looking woman vanished into thin air.

Left alone, the young man scowled heavily and turned to look at me.

Our eyes met, but I didn’t panic. Instead, I bowed deeply in greeting.

"Thank you for saving me. My name is Arin." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Phew. Well, it’s a relief you woke up. From the looks of it, you must be the homunculus guarding this place. Give me a detailed explanation about this world."

"I will tell you anything you wish to know."

I proceeded to explain everything I knew.

I told him that this world was built on swords and magic, that humans lived on the continent within kingdoms and empires, that this place was a dungeon, and that the Previous Master was a Dungeon Master.

I told him everything.

The young man listened attentively throughout the explanation before finally scratching his head and standing up.

"Alright. So you’re like a Supporter, right?"

"A Supporter?"

"Ah, you wouldn’t know. Anyway, it looks like I’ll be taking charge of this dungeon from now on, so show me around."

’Could he be the new master?’

For a moment, the memory of crying my eyes out in front of him surfaced, making my face flush hot. I quickly bowed my head to hide it.

"...Understood, Master."

"Forget it. What’s with ’Master’? Just call me Taehyun."

"Sir Taehyun... is it?"

"Right. Taehyun. It sucks, but I’ll be in charge here for a while. I look forward to working with you, Arin."

As if used to this kind of situation, Taehyun lightly offered a handshake.

His words were full of confusing phrases about ’taking charge here for a while,’ but I promptly grabbed his hand.

His warm body heat slowly transferred to me.

I had never felt such warmth, not even from the Previous Master, yet for some reason, it felt nostalgic.

"Ah, your hands are really cold. They’ll be perfect in the summer."

I was too stunned to speak.

And just like that, my dungeon life with my new master began.

---

Day 1.

After inspecting every corner of the dungeon, Sir Taehyun’s sighs never ceased.

Even the Previous Master had always clicked his tongue and called it a lost cause, so his reaction was understandable.

But every time he sighed, I grew fearful.

’Will he choose to give up and leave me all alone like the Previous Master did?’

An unknown emotion suddenly washed over me, making my body tremble.

I had to help him as much as possible so he could adapt to the dungeon.

However, I soon realized that my efforts were unnecessary.

"You said the dungeon’s name is Radik, right? I’ve pretty much figured everything out, so there’s no need for you to help."

Sir Taehyun adapted surprisingly fast.

At first, I was skeptical when he abruptly claimed to understand all the dungeon operations, but I quickly believed him as I watched the inside of the dungeon change step by step.

"Ugh, this is crazy. It’s even worse than it was with Balak!"

Of course, he would occasionally swear and lose his temper, but just as he had said, he did his absolute best.

Radik, which had merely been a cave, soon transformed into a five-way passage, and I began to worry about our finances instead.

The Zen left behind by the Previous Master.

It was the essential currency that Dungeon Masters had to gather in this world, but there wasn’t much left before he died.

Whether he knew that or not, Sir Taehyun altered the internal structure first and then came looking for me.

"I need to call a merchant guild. Is there one you frequently used here?"

"Of course there is, but... to call them when our finances are so lacking is..."

"It doesn’t matter. Just bring me the Crystal Sphere."

"Understood."

I was incredibly anxious, but I had to follow his orders unconditionally.

That was my mission as a homunculus; I had to serve my new master for the rest of my life.

I obediently brought the Crystal Sphere, and Sir Taehyun skillfully initiated a call to the merchant guild.

"Ah, yeah. The Lapir Merchant Guild, right? Of course you wouldn’t know me. I’m the Dungeon Master who just took charge of Radik. Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I need you to come visit sometime soon. Ah, you’ll come right away tomorrow? Well, that works for me. Make sure to send someone who’s easy to talk to."

I just blinked at his overly brazen attitude.

He ended the conversation so swiftly that I couldn’t even process what had just happened.

"Uh. You heard that just now, right? They’re coming tomorrow, so keep that in mind."

Sir Taehyun returned the Crystal Sphere to me, shook his head, and walked back to the Previous Master’s room.

Left all alone, I silently looked down at the Crystal Sphere in my hands.

I stood there in silence.

For some reason, my hands were trembling.

---

Day 2.

The awaited Lapir Merchant Guild arrived.

Since it was a mid-sized merchant guild, there were more than a few things to be anxious about, but fortunately, the guild member showed no reaction to Radik’s shabby appearance.

He merely glanced around the interior before promptly stepping inside.

I immediately approached him and bowed politely.

The guild member introduced himself as Paru. Looking closely, he was a demon with quite a sharp impression.

"Sir Taehyun is waiting for you. Please come this way."

"Aha. That must be the Dungeon Master’s name. Usually, they are called Master or Lord. How unique."

I didn’t bother answering.

For some reason, I felt like I’d be swept up in his pace, and his peculiar gaze was especially bothersome.

Even though I was a homunculus, mistakes were unacceptable when assisting the Dungeon Master.

’Right. It’s a rule the Previous Master drilled into my head since the old days.’

Suddenly, I felt my chest tighten.

Why was that?

Unable to find the answer, I arrived in front of the Previous Master’s room.

"Hey, you. Are you dealing from the bottom of the deck?!"

"Hehehe. I’ve never done such a thing, sir."

"I saw everything. What’s that under your hand? Huh?!"

It was nerve-wracking right from the start.

I became confused by the two voices coming from inside the room.

’I clearly remember that only Sir Taehyun was in there.’

I grew even more anxious, but conscious of the guild member’s gaze, I calmly knocked on the door.

"Yeah. Come in."

As soon as permission was granted, I opened the door and bowed my head.

But when I raised my head to introduce the guild member beside me...

"Hehehe. Anyway, I won, sir."

"Hah. Look at you playing tricks and then playing dumb!"

I saw Sir Taehyun playing cards on the table, though I had no idea where he’d gotten them.

"Hehehehe!"

And with a long-nosed green goblin, at that.